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Memphis City Council chairman looking for new council rules

Memphis City Council chairman Edmund Ford Jr. will form a committee to look into the rules that govern the city council to iron out a few problems Ford said he will no longer tolerate.

Edmund Ford Jr.

Ford said Tuesday he'd take volunteers from the city council for the three-member committee. The group will propose new rules on voting procedures and enforcing the decorum of city council members.

Some council members have made a habit of directing the council staff to record their votes after the gavel has fallen on the final vote count, Ford said. He would not disclose the identities of the council members.

Also, Ford said he will seek new rules to rein in the sometimes-acrid criticism by some council members, particularly criticisms directed at members of Mayor A C Wharton's administration. Again, Ford refused to "name drop" the offending council members during Tuesday's executive session.

Council member Joe Brown said he was "in the dark" about the events that led to Ford's decision to look for rule changes but reminded him that he (Brown) was elected "by 73,000 votes" and that council members have "no bosses."

Ford said he hopes to have the committee members selected within the week.